Thera 4.9: Dhammika
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(195):Dhammika Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter IV. Four Verses =195. Dhammika= Reborn in this Buddha-age in a family of Kosalan brahmins(priests) , and named Dhammika, he won faith at the presentation of the Jeta Grove, and entered the Monk’s order. Becoming a resident at a village Vihāra(monastery), he grew impatient and irritable over the duties of incoming bhikkhus(monks),1 so that the latter abandoned the Vihāra,. Thus he became sole master of the Vihāra,. And a layman reported this to the Exalted One(Buddha). The Lord(Buddha) sent for Dhammika, and asked him to explain. Upon that he said: 'Not only now are you impatient; you were so formerly also'; and at the bhikkhus(monks)' request he gave a 'tree-talk' on the Path(Dhamma), with teaching over and above, as follows: ---- 303 Dhammo have rakikhati dhammacāriɱ|| Dhammo suciṇṇo sukhamāvahāti,|| Esānisaɱso dhamme suciṇṇe|| Na duggatiɱ gacchati dhammacārī.|| || 304 Na hi dhammo adhammo ca ubho samavipākino,|| Adhammo nirayaɱ neti dhammo pāpeti suggatiɱ.|| || 305 Tasmā hi dhammesu kareyya 'ndaɱ|| Iti modamāno sugatena tādinā,|| Dhamme ṭhitā sugatavarassa sāvakā|| Nīyanti dhīrā saraṇavaraggagāmino.|| || 306 Vipphoṭito gaṇḍamūlo|| Taṇhājālo samūhato,|| So khīṇasaɱsāro na catthi niñcanaɱ|| Cando yathā dosinā puṇṇamāsiyāti.|| || ---- 303 Well did the Path(Dhamma) protect him in truth who follows the Dhamma. Happiness brings along in its train the Path(Dhamma) well practised. This shall be his reward by whom the Path(Dhamma) is well practised: Never goes to misery he who did follow the Path(Dhamma). 304 For not of like result are right and wrong: Wrong leads to baleful, right, to happy doom. 305 Therefore let will be applied to Lord(Buddha) the things that we know. So let him hail with delight so welcome a blessing as this.2 186 Firm in the Welcome One's Path(Dhamma) the disciples move onward, Valiantly following Him, their sovereign Refuge. 306 Plucked out the root of all this cancerous lump,3 The net of craving wholly torn away, The round of life renewed has ceased, And nothing of clinging did remain, Even as the moon on fifteenth day Sails in clear sky without a stain. ---- When the Lord(Buddha) had taught three of the verses, Dhammika, having them in mind, developed insight even as he sat, and won arahantship(enlightenment). And to show the transformation in himself to the Lord(Buddha), he declared aññā(supreme attainment) by the last verse. ---- 1 For an account of the many sources of petty annoyance arising herefrom, see Vinaya Texts, iii. 272 ff. 2 I.e., according to the Commentary, the privilege of a Buddha's teaching. The double reversion to the śloka (11. 5, 6; 11, 12) in this gāthā, which is in irregular Tri.sṭubh metre, is indicated above by corresponding changes. The four gāthās, indeed, bear so little on Dhammika's offence, and vary sQ in metre, that they suggest a patched compilation. 3 The 'lump' ¡b the five khandhas (body and mind), the 'root' is ignorance (Commentary), ---- =4.10 195 Commentary on the stanza on Dhammikatthera= The stanza starting with dhammo have constitutes that of the venerable thera Dhammika. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service towards former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, became a deer hunter at the time of the Blessed One Sikhi; one day, when the Master was teaching the truth (dhamma) to His divine audience in the forest region, he seized the sign (nimitta) of the teaching saying to himself thus: “This is said to be the truth (dhamma).” On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirhts among divine and human beings and was reborn in a brahmin family, in the kingdom of Kosala when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Dhammika, he, on having come of age, gained pleasing piety (pasāda) at the dedication ceremony (paṭiggahana) of Jetavana (monastery), became a monk and dwelling as a resident monk in a certain village monastery he became bored (akkhamo) by the captiousness (ujjhāna) in abundance in (his) duties big and small (vattāvatta) to the guest-monks. On that account, monks made their departure after having abandoned that monastery; he became all alone. The owner of the monastery, the devotee, on having heard about that matter, reported that incident to the Blessed One. The Master sent for that monk, enquired about that matter and when told by that monk that it was true, observed thus; “Not only now is this one free from forbearance (akkhamo), formerly also he was inpatient.” On being requested by bhikkhus(monks), the Master taught the truth (dhamma) about the tree (rukkha) and above all (upari) spoke four stanzas in order to give him instruction.— 303. “Indeed, a well-done deed (dhamma) looks after the doer of the deed (dhamma). The deed (dhamma) well executed (suciṇṇo) brings about bliss. When the deed (dhamma) is well executed (saciṇṇa) this is the benefit; the doer of the deed (dhammacārī) does not go to evil existence (duggati) 304. “Indeed, both the good deed (dhamma0 and bad deed (adhamma) do not produce one and the same result; bad deed (adhamma) leads to purgatory and good deed sends the doer to excellent existence. 305. “Indeed, therefore, desire should be made for doing good deeds (dhamma), thus being glad and congratulated by such sages as Sugata, the disciples of the excellent Sugata, who are firmly wise, and who go to the most excellent refuge (saraṇavaragga), who have abided in the good deed (dhamma) go out (of the rounds of repeated rebirhts). 306. “Shaken has been the root of aggregates (gaṇḍa); the not of craving (taṇha) has been well cut-off; he who has destroyed the rounds of rebirth, and has nothing (left); he resembles the faultless full moon. There, dhammo means: well-done deed, (dhamma) of mundane and super-mundane character. Rakkhati means: protects from pains of purgatory; it but protects both from the misery of rounds of repeated rebirths and for becoming dependable for sufficing qualification for esape from rounds of repeated rebirhts (vaṭṭa). Dhammacāriṃ means: his who regulates his way of life and practises righteously (dhammaṃ). Suciṇṇo means: has practised excellently after having believed in the fruitions of action (kamma); has conserved (upacito) after having honoured (cittikatvā) respectfully (sakkacca). Sukhaṃ means: the mundane and super-mundane happiness. There, the worthy mundane is such a phenomenon (dhamma) that is up to (tāva) what is classified as sensual sphere (kāmāvacara) etc., according to his own bliss either spontaneously springing up (upapajje) in this very existence on by any other means (pariyāya). Āvahati means: brings into complation (nipphādeto) the other, however, having abided by the sufficing qualification for escape from rounds of repeated rebirth (vaṭṭa) and having conducted himself (ciṇṇo) brings about the tradition (paraṃpara), thus it is befitting to speak (vattuṃ vaṭṭati) because of that absence of lack of sufficing qualification (upanissaya). Esānisaṃ so dhamme suciṇṇe, na duggatiṃ gacchati dhammacāri means: an individual who does good deeds (dhammacārī), when he has practised well the deeds (dhamma), as a mark (nimitta) of that, he does not go to evil exzistence; thus, when deeds (dhamma) are done well (suciṇṇe) this is the beneficial (ānisaṃsa) result: (udreya); thus, is the meaning. Since good deeds only lead to excellent existence, and but bad deeds lead to evil existence, therefore, he spoke the second stanza, starting with “Na hi dhammo” in order to show these “Dhammo adhammo (good deeds and bad deeds) are mutually of unmixed (asaṃkiṇṇa) fruition. There adhammo means: opposite of good deed (dhamma) bad conduct (duccarita). Samavipākino means: of similar result, of equal fruition. Tasmā means: since there is this difference in the result of the good and bad deeds, according as has been said, therefore. Chandaṃ means: the desire of wanting to do (kattukamyata). Iti modamāne Sugatena tādinā means: One should create desire in the good deeds (dhammesu), arriving at (āpajjamāno) satisfaction, being glad, by the advice given thus, in such a variety of manner as has been said, by Sugata who had gone His right (journey), who regulated His life aright, who had attained the state of such a sage (tādi) in things desirable (iṭṭha) etc., possessed of the name Tādi, who had become the cause (hetu); thus, is the interpretation. Having thus far shown the rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa), he, now, said starting with “Dhamme ṭhita,” in order to show the escape from rounds of repeated rebirhts (vivaṭṭa). It’s meaning: Sāvakā means: since the disciples of the excellent Sugata, the superior among the Sugatas, the well self awakened Buddha; dhamme ṭhitā dhīrā means: the firmly wise disciples of that Sugata, who had gone for refuge which had become extremely foremost, because of the state of having remained in good deed (dhamma) reckoned as going for refuge, but on that account; nīyanti means: they escape (nissaranti) from the entire misery (dukkha) of rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa); therefore, indeed, one should create desire in good deeds (dhammesu). Then, in this manner, by means of three stanzas the truth (dhamma) had been taught by the Master, (the thera) having been but seated, increasingly developed spiritual insight commensurate with the teaching and attained Arahantship. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna. “A deer-hunter, I, formerly, was, in the woody forest. I saw the stainless Buddha, surrounded by a crowd of celestial beings, making manifest the fourfold truths (sacca), pointing out the path to immortality. I listened to the sweet teaching (dhamma) of Sikhi, the kinsman of the world. In the voice of the peerless, equal to none I made my mind piously pleased there and I crossed over the expense of existence, difficult to be crossed. It was thirtyone aeons (kappa) ago that I then gained the perception (saññā); I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my perception of (Buddha’s) voice. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Likewise, he became established in Arahantship. Having, however attained Arahantship, he revealed his attainment of it (aññā) by means of the last stanza in order to report to the Master about the distinction (visesa) achieved by himself. There, Vipphoṭito means having shaken off (vidhuto); forsaken (paṭinissaṭṭho) by means of the knowledge of he path (magga); thus, is the meaning. Gaṇḍamūlo means: ignorance (avijjā); indeed, that ignorancxe swells (gaṇḍati) and flows (savati); the root cause of the five attachment (upādāna) aggregates (khandha) named (abhidhāna) swelling sore (gaḍḍa) owing to its having swollen (uddhumāta), ripened (pakka) and burst open (pabhijjana) by means of the process of springing up (uppāda), getting old (jarā) and dissolution (bhaṅga) owing to oozing (paggharaṇa) of umpure (liquid) of depravity (kilesa), connected with (yoga) the root (mūla) of pain (dukkha), which had been spoken of (vutta) by theMaster in this manner, thus: Gaṇḍo ti kho bhikkhu(monk) pañucannetaṃ upādanakkhandhānaṃ adhivacanaṃ (O monk! The swelling sore (gaṇḍa) is, indeed, the name (adhivacana) of the five attachment (upādāna) aggregates (khandha) Taṇhājālo samūhato means: the net reckoned as craving (taṇhā) had been well cut asunder (samugghaṭito) by the right path (magga). So khīṇasaṃsāro na ca’tthi kiñcanaṃ means: I, also, have become an all-round full sharer (koṭṭhāsa) of truth (khamma), who had done away with (apeta) any and every such thing as lust (rāga) etc., by the attainment (adhigama) of Arahantship, according as the moon, devoid of such defects as cloud, fog (mahika) and so on, on the full-moon day of the month, at the time of her being all round full. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Dhammika is complete. ----